The technical team of the breeding organisation, whose members visit farms at least once every 7-14 days, records information about new-born piglets.
Piglets are identified, marked, weighted, and selected. Birth defects are recorded.
Fertility traits of sows are recorded: gestation length, litter size, number of piglets born, number of still-born piglets.
Potential breeding boars undergo DNA tests, to determine progeny and detect mutations. |
The breeding organisation technical teams also supervise the feeding and vaccination schemes (together with the veterinarian, see below)
Feed intake is measured at individual level using feed intake registration stations.
Ultrasonic scanners are used to measure muscle thickness.
Feed intake combined with growth data and related traits, is used to determine feed conversion.
Each quarter, a specialist from the GD (the public Animal Health Service Centre) visits the breeder to collect blood and faeces samples at the farm. The samples are examined for causative agents of 6 diseases. |
AI sperm is delivered to the breeding farm once every 6 weeks.
Quantity and quality of sperm are determined in consultation with the breeding organisation.
Price is determined based on contract between the breeding organisation and the breeder, as well as on market conditions. |
Farm data is sent electronically via EDI to the central database of the breeding organisation every 7-14 days. Data of individual animals is compared with the rest of the population by means of statistical software.
Results of test performed by the GD (the public Animal Health Service Centre) are put on the website of the GD. The results are only accessible to the GD, the breeding organisation, and the breeder. |